Don't Scroll: Evangelism in the Digital Age

By Brian Barcelona

The Method Has Changed, the Message Has Not.

After twelve years of ministering to students on public campuses, Brian Barcelona's world turned upside down when public schools shut down in March 2020. He wondered if his ministry was over until two teenagers challenged him to minister using his smartphone and digital platforms--methods he had no idea how to use effectively.

With passion and humility, Brian shares the incredible story of how God helped him go from reaching thousands of students locally to preaching to over five million globally each month. He gives practical tips and best practices from his and others' experiences on how you, too, can instantly reach more people than you ever thought possible, leading others in salvation, healing, deliverance and even baptisms digitally! 

Don't Scroll is the inspiring how-to manual for powerfully sharing the Gospel using the digital tools already in your hands, as well as the heart and language for what Jesus is doing in this generation. 

"I have seen firsthand the fruit of what this ministry does. I recommend anyone to read and live out what this book entails."--NICK VUJICIC, New York Times bestselling author

"May this book open our eyes and break our hearts afresh for Generation Z and give us bold faith to believe for the Gospel to save millions."--BRIAN "HEAD" WELCH, New York Times bestselling author

• Language: English
• Publisher: Baker Publishing Group
• Release date: May 17, 2022
• ISBN: 9781493437177

Book preview

"The work of Brian Barcelona, One Voice Student Missions, and The Jesus Clubs is truly one that I believe in as I have seen firsthand the fruit of what this ministry does. Don’t Scroll not only speaks of the way youth are accepting Christ in Generation Z through the digital platforms, but it also speaks of the heart and culture behind this movement."

—Nick Vujicic, founder, Life Without Limbs

Coming from the ‘rock ’n’ roll all night and party every day’ lifestyle, I’m not easily shocked, but the deception that the youth are bombarded with through corrupt societal influences is at a level I’ve never seen in my entire life. May this book open our eyes and break our hearts afresh for Generation Z and give us bold faith to believe for the Gospel to save millions.

—Brian Head Welch, co-founder, Grammy Award–winning band Korn; New York Times bestselling author, Save Me from Myself

Brian Barcelona is calling us to join him in the gutters of social media for the sake of the Gospel and the generation that lives there. In view of Jesus’ love for people who live in gutters, Brian’s message deserves our attention and thoughtful consideration.

—Dalton Thomas, founder and president, Frontier Alliance International

Brian Barcelona has reached millions with his ambition, but more than that, his integrity has allowed him to keep going. Brian desperately wants people to come to Jesus Christ and is willing to do anything to make that happen, even if it seems foolish to others, even if it’s on TikTok.

—David Latting, Christian social media influencer, evangelist, and missionary

"Brian Barcelona is pioneering a new way of evangelism that is captivating the heart of Gen Z. Don’t Scroll is a must-read for the Church. I am grateful for Brian and his team for their courage to boldly proclaim the Gospel to this next generation."

—Michael Miller, lead pastor, UPPERROOM Dallas

"After witnessing millions saved in Africa and seeing God’s presence move, I can truly say that what Brian Barcelona is sharing is a move of God among young people. Don’t Scroll is a book that I would recommend you read and live out."

—Daniel Kolenda, evangelist and president, Christ for all Nations

© 2022 by Brian Barcelona

Published by Chosen Books

11400 Hampshire Avenue South

Minneapolis, Minnesota 55438

www.chosenbooks.com

Chosen Books is a division of

Baker Publishing Group, Grand Rapids, Michigan

www.bakerpublishinggroup.com

Ebook edition created 2022

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means—for example, electronic, photocopy, recording—without the prior written permission of the publisher. The only exception is brief quotations in printed reviews.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is on file at the Library of Congress, Washington, DC.

ISBN 978-1-4934-3717-7

Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. www.lockman.org

Scripture quotations labeled NIV are from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Scripture quotations labeled NKJV are from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations labeled NLT from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Identifying details of certain individuals have been obscured to protect their privacy.

Cover design by Manny Gatian

Baker Publishing Group publications use paper produced from sustainable forestry practices and post-consumer waste whenever possible.

To my wife, Marcela,

my children

and the One Voice team.

You are the people who have been behind this book

and who have faithfully lived out these chapters.

Because of your yes since 2009, and especially in 2020, digital missions have a road that has been paved.

Contents

Cover

Endorsements    1

Half Title Page    3

Title Page    5

Copyright Page    6

Dedication    7

Introduction    11

1. Jesus Is for Everyone    13

2. Live with No Plan B    30

3. When God Looks Different   44

4. Digital Missions    58

5. What Is the Gospel?    73

6. Long-Term Evangelism    93

7. The Rules Have Changed    109

8. The Word of Your Testimony    120

9. Character to Carry the Call    138

10. Decentralized and Unified    149

Afterword    163

Acknowledgments    167

Appendix: How to Lead Someone to Christ    169

Notes    173

About the Author    175

Back Ad    176

Back Cover    177

Introduction

What if the next Jesus movement is digital? What if the next Explo ’72—the massive youth gathering that took place in Dallas, Texas, with the late Billy Graham—is digital? What if the question posed in Isaiah 66:8 of a nation being saved in a day was God’s invitation to our generation?

Crazy words from God can only be fulfilled with crazy faith that can only be carried by men and women who are crazy enough to believe that Jesus has called us for greater things.

I have heard many stories of people saying that evangelism was easy in the 1960s and 1970s. People would ask, What time is it? In response, Christians would say, It’s time to get saved, and people would get saved. I believe that those are the times we are in, again.

Back when my grandma was young, Christians handed out tracts, which were booklets that were about hell, sin, salvation and the Gospel message. People would flip through the pages of the tract, and it would tell the story of Jesus in a minute or less. Many people came to Christ reading those tracts.

What if I told you that the modern-day tract is not a ten-page booklet but a sixty-second video?

Every revival leader from the book of Acts onward has used the media of their time. Paul wrote letters, William J. Seymour used the printing press to advertise the Azusa Street Revival1 and Billy Graham televised his crusades.2 The use of media now is nothing new. A Jesus movement for which many have prayed is here.

A fresh wave of evangelists has risen up. This time, it is not one but thousands of evangelists who are sharing the Gospel. It is not crusades built around a man people flock to hear, but it is an army of people who are dressed in ordinary clothes who have ordinary jobs living in ordinary homes who serve an extraordinary God who does extraordinary things through them.

Those ordinary people are you and me. What are we waiting for?

1

Jesus Is for Everyone

There was a buzz on the East Los Angeles high school campus. The week before, the Jesus Club had announced a free giveaway of the expensive Dre Beat headphones. As the lunch bell rang, we opened the doors to the gymnasium. This was the gym that a year prior God had told me He would fill with His presence.

As the doors flung open, hundreds of kids poured in. These were kids from different religions, economic backgrounds and nationalities. But they all had one thing in common: their Creator was waiting to have an encounter with them.

As we started the meeting, I did what I have done many other times. I began to preach with passion and faith. I spoke about the Gospel of Jesus Christ—the value of each person, the price Jesus paid, how Jesus defeated sin and how He now offers a new way of living.

As the time grew near for us to end the meeting, I knew that the kids were anxious for the giveaway we had promised. After all, these Dre Beat headphones were worth hundreds of dollars. Who would not want to walk away with them? We only had one pair. So as the time was coming near to close, I stopped my message and said, Who would like these free headphones?

As expected, the crowd erupted with kids waving their hands in hopes that I would pick them. What they did not know was that I had taken the headphones out of the box and wrapped the empty box. After asking the crowd who wanted it, I grabbed this empty box and placed it in the middle of the gymnasium. These students got ready to jump out of their bleachers to run down.

As they expected, I said, On the count of three, the first one to come down here and grab these headphones is going to get to walk home with them today. Before I even began to count, kids began to get out of their bleachers.

I said, No, you need to sit down. On the count of three, the first one up here gets these. I knew in that moment the kids were going to lose their dignity. No one was going to care how they looked because there was something that they wanted.

I counted slowly, One. Two. Three.

As soon as I said three, a kid who was in a gang and sitting in the front row stood up. When he stood up, everyone else sat down. With the slow walk that most gangsters have, he walked to the middle of the gym and picked up the box. I followed him with the mic in my hand and faith in my heart that God was about to do something special.

Into the microphone, I asked him to do me one favor. I asked him to open the box in front of everybody. And like a kid on Christmas, he ripped open the paper—only to find that the box was empty.

With a disappointed face, he said in front of the whole gymnasium, This box is empty. He did not realize that he had set himself up for a great explanation of the Gospel.

I replied, You’re right. It is empty, just like your life. Without Christ you’re a nicely packaged box, but you have nothing inside. Although everything may look good on the outside, you’re empty on the inside.

The crowd began to make noise as though they could not believe what I had just said to this guy. I quickly said to one of my team members, Bring me the headphones. She brought me the headphones, and I handed them to him.

He replied, Are these real?

I said, Of course they’re real. But I have two questions for you before you sit down.

I asked him, Do you know me?

He replied, No.

Do you deserve these headphones? Now, that second question I asked him probably made him think a little bit more. He possibly pondered the many mistakes he had made in his life and the things he was not proud of.

He responded, No. I don’t deserve these.

I pulled the mic back to my mouth quickly and said, That’s just like the love of God. You don’t know Him, you don’t deserve His love, but He wants to give it to you anyway.

I handed him the headphones, and he took his seat. I knew at this moment that God was about to do something special. His presence filled that gym. And through this simple example, people understood that the gift of God—salvation—was available for them. They understood that knowing God prior or deserving His love were not qualifications for receiving salvation.

With boldness I yelled into the mic, If you walked into this room and you’ve never received Christ, there is a free gift of salvation today. You may have walked in here broken, but you can leave healed. You may have walked in here depressed, but you can be set free. As I looked at the crowd, I could see hope in their eyes.

I said, If you’ve never received Christ and you would like to, on the count of three I want you to stand. Do not bow your heads or close your eyes on the greatest decision you’re going to make.

And as I did before when I counted for them to run up and get the headphones, I counted to three for them to come and receive a gift that would not break, that would not rust and that would not become outdated or old. This was a gift that was given, a gift that was slain before the foundations of the earth. This was the gift of Jesus. As I began to count, my heart began to pound. Would they respond?

One. Two. Three.

As I said three, the response of the room was not what I expected. Nobody stood up. But it was not because they were not compelled or eager to receive this gift of Jesus. It was as if they were waiting to see who would go first. It seemed as if only after that first person would stand that they would have permission.

The long silence was finally broken by the gang member who had received the headphones. As he stood up and began to make his way toward me, he was joined quickly by more than four hundred